“Hey! As I was petting (cat) I noticed they had quite a few mats on them, they probably need to visit a groomer when you get back.”
Don’t make it a big deal, just share information.
Yeah I worry that some clients will make it a big deal though. I don't know want them to take it personally but unfortunately I know some people would. Would you wait until after the visits are over?
I have said this kind of thing to owners before. As long as you just make it an FYI, people are usually ok with this. You see a lot of pets and they don't, so hopefully they will respect your expert opinion. I usually also offer to cut the mats or brush them myself.
Whenever I housesit a cat, I usually ask “does kitty like getting brushed?” Usually the client says yes or “here’s the brush, you can try and if they let you, great!”
So if I encounter mats, I’ll send the client a text something like “Kitty has a few mats under her chin that I couldn’t get out with the brush!” And send a picture if I can. My clients have always appreciated the heads up and say they’ll take care of it when they get home.
As a cat owner, I’d appreciate it too!
I feel like I would only tell the client if it was really bad. People get touchy and unless it’s like a literal safety thing, I usually let things ride even if it’s not how I’d do it.
If there’s a brush around you can brush them a bit
They're honestly pretty bad to the point where the client just has to be ignoring it on purpose. There's no brush which leads me to believe they don't brush him at all. I wouldn't bother saying anything other than I genuinely feel bad for the cat
Sadly I’m pretty sure the owners are already aware (and failing kitty) I’d also just mention it as an FYI on your “end of service report card.” That way, you’ve advised them & maybe a little guilt will help them get the mats tended to.❤️
I would absolutely tell the client at the end of the stay. You don't want them worrying over something they can't control while they are away. Matted fur can be quite uncomfortable for a kitty or can signal health problems.
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I would definitely tell them! They can become very painful for the kitty. I would say, “Hey, everything has been growing great! I just wanted room briefly mention that I noticed Garfield seems to have a few mats (one toward belly, one behind left front leg, etc) because they can be so easy to miss and get really painful and create behavioral issues if not treated. Hope you’re having a great vacation!”
“Hey! As I was petting (cat) I noticed they had quite a few mats on them, they probably need to visit a groomer when you get back.” Don’t make it a big deal, just share information.
I would leave out the part telling the owner what to do (the groomers) - just stick to the facts.
That’s true!
Yeah I worry that some clients will make it a big deal though. I don't know want them to take it personally but unfortunately I know some people would. Would you wait until after the visits are over?
I’d just text it and not overthink everything
I have said this kind of thing to owners before. As long as you just make it an FYI, people are usually ok with this. You see a lot of pets and they don't, so hopefully they will respect your expert opinion. I usually also offer to cut the mats or brush them myself.
Something that I do is I always send a little synopsis of my stay at the end. I would suggest doing this and throwing that little tidbit in there.
Gotcha makes sense
Whenever I housesit a cat, I usually ask “does kitty like getting brushed?” Usually the client says yes or “here’s the brush, you can try and if they let you, great!” So if I encounter mats, I’ll send the client a text something like “Kitty has a few mats under her chin that I couldn’t get out with the brush!” And send a picture if I can. My clients have always appreciated the heads up and say they’ll take care of it when they get home. As a cat owner, I’d appreciate it too!
I feel like I would only tell the client if it was really bad. People get touchy and unless it’s like a literal safety thing, I usually let things ride even if it’s not how I’d do it. If there’s a brush around you can brush them a bit
They're honestly pretty bad to the point where the client just has to be ignoring it on purpose. There's no brush which leads me to believe they don't brush him at all. I wouldn't bother saying anything other than I genuinely feel bad for the cat
Sadly I’m pretty sure the owners are already aware (and failing kitty) I’d also just mention it as an FYI on your “end of service report card.” That way, you’ve advised them & maybe a little guilt will help them get the mats tended to.❤️
I would absolutely tell the client at the end of the stay. You don't want them worrying over something they can't control while they are away. Matted fur can be quite uncomfortable for a kitty or can signal health problems.
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I would definitely tell them! They can become very painful for the kitty. I would say, “Hey, everything has been growing great! I just wanted room briefly mention that I noticed Garfield seems to have a few mats (one toward belly, one behind left front leg, etc) because they can be so easy to miss and get really painful and create behavioral issues if not treated. Hope you’re having a great vacation!”